Paul Evert’s RV Country is a large RV dealership with six locations in Western States. The Fresno, CA location features a large marquee-style street sign with 200 bulbs attached to the sign. The bulbs, operated in a flashing chase-pattern are on for 12 hours per day to attract customers to the site.

Dale Cantrell, the company’s Controller, said “The sign has been very effective at attracting new customers, but we knew it could be better if the bulbs were brighter. Unfortunately, brighter bulbs were going to increase our electric bill to an unbearable level. We needed more light for less money, so I researched various options and it seemed that LED bulbs would be the best solution.”

Solution

Mr. Cantrell went on to purchase and test several brands and types of LED bulbs. The one he judged to be brightest was also the least expensive and had the best warranty (lifetime) – VOLT® Lighting’s PAR20 8-watt LED Light Bulb (an LED bulb designed to replace a typical 50-watt incandescent bulb). He went on to purchase 200 of these and installed them in the sign.

Mr. Cantrell said, “When we turn on these new LED PAR20’s, the increased brightness is breathtaking. Even in the middle of a sunny day, the flashing bulbs catch the attention of people driving by.”

The dealership also appreciated that the VOLT® bulbs consume only 8 watts of energy each – 87% less than the 60-watt bulbs they replaced. This represents an annual energy savings of over $9,000 per year; with a purchase price of less than 1/3 that amount; the bulbs paid for themselves (in energy savings) in less than 4 months.

Product Used

VOLT® PAR20 LED Light Bulb

Indoor/ Outdoor

Lifetime replacement warranty

Matches color & brightness of traditional bulbs

50-watt incandescent equivalent

8 watts (actual power consumption)

490 Lumens

Soft White (2700k)

Dimmable

Mercury-free

UL Listed for damp locations

Replacement bulb for outdoor flood lights

Conclusion

Traditionally, the use of signs with marquee-style light bulbs (such as with this project) has been very successful in attracting customers. The downside has been the high energy consumption and cost. This problem is dramatically addressed when incandescent bulbs are replaced with VOLT® LED bulbs – saving thousands of dollars per year and resulting in light that is brighter, more effective, and that requires no maintenance.

Businesses (like this RV dealership) that struggle with high energy costs due to older inefficient lighting should consider retrofitting to VOLT® Lighting’s LED Bulbs; with a typical reduction in energy of 85%, the initial investment is paid back in a few months and continue to reward the business in savings for years to come.